LONDON, March 20, (AFP): David Luiz broke the deadlock with a late header before Ramires added the second goal as Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to move up to third place in the Premier League.
Once again Chelsea’s £50 million signing Fernando Torres failed to score, however, and the breakthough came in the 78th minute after the Spaniard had been replaced by Didier Drogba.
The victory extends Chelsea’s recent upturn in form and maintains their lingering hopes of retaining the title they won last season — they trail leaders Manchester United by nine points with a game in hand.
More significantly, this win tightened their grip on a top four place, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side taking full advantage of fifth-placed Tottenham’s failure to beat West Ham on Saturday.
City drop down to fourth and are now the team most likely to be threatened by Spurs.
They paid the price for a lack of adventure in their approach and when Luiz headed home from Drogba’s free kick, they had no way of responding before Ramires sealed the victory with a fine run and finish.
Ancelotti’s team sheet confirmed the Chelsea manager is still undecided about how to get the best out of his forwards by taking the surprise decision to drop both Drogba and Nicolas Anelka to the bench and pair Salomon Kalou with Torres.

Torres had failed to score for his new club coming into this game and while Ancelotti insists the forward is under no pressure, the player himself admitted in the build-up to this game he was anxious to get off the mark.
City, who were without Carlo Tevez after the Argentina international failed a late fitness test on a groin, started brightly with Yaya Toure forcing an early save from Petr Cech.
But Chelsea soon took control of the midfield with City content to sit back and attempt to catch the home side out on the break.
Florent Malouda, restored to the side as one of five changes to the one that drew 0-0 with FC Copenhagen midweek, worked effectively on the left hand side of midfield.
Yet the quality of service to Kalou and Torres was poor and when Chelsea did manage to create space inside the City area, the chance went begging when Ramires and Kalou got in each other’s way. Torres threatened to break clear just once before the break when he was released by Kalou but was denied by an excellent covering tackle by Nigel de Jong.

Kalou then tested City keeper Joe Hart with a shot on the turn moments before the interval but the home side reached the break knowing they would have to do a lot more to break down City’s blanket defences. While City’s attacks were sporadic and lacked conviction, there was no doubt the stalemate suited Roberto Mancini’s team more.
Chelsea had stepped up their game superbly to come from behind and beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge recently and there were early signs they would repeat that performance at the start of the second half.
Malouda linked superbly with Torres and Kalou to carve open the visitors’ defence but spoiled the move by firing tamely at Hart in the 51st minute.
Then ten minutes later Branislav Ivanovic was unlucky to see his powerful header deflect to safety off Kompany.

Torres and Malouda were replaced by Drogba and Anelka in the 70th minute and the Ivorian made his impact felt, floating in the free kick for Luiz to head home before Ramires scored a superb solo effort in stoppage time.
In Sunderland, Liverpool kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a controversial 2-0 Premier League win over 10-man Sunderland on Sunday.
Kenny Dalglish’s sixth placed side need to catch fifth placed Tottenham to avoid missing out on a place in Europe and they were given a helping hand by the officials at the Stadium of Light.
Referee Kevin Friend and his linesman played an important part in the win, with a hotly-disputed decision allowing Dirk Kuyt to break the deadlock with a penalty before Luis Suarez sealed the victory. Friend made his error when he allowed the linesman to persuade him to give a penalty for John Mensah’s challenge on Jay Spearing even though he had initially given a free-kick.
Replays showed the tackle was outside the area but Kuyt scored the penalty to set Liverpool on the way, while Friend sent off Sunderland defender Mensah late in the match for a professional foul on Suarez.

The early stages were notable only for Sunderland’s injury problems - Sulley Muntari and Kieran Richardson both limped off injured and Phil Bardsley might have followed if it had not meant using their last substitute already - until Friend intervened.
On Liverpool’s last trip to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s winning goal went in off a discarded beachball. This time the Reds got lucky.
Faced with a routine long ball, Ghana captain Mensah made a mess of chesting it down and allowed Spearing to pounce onto the loose ball.
The midfielder was heading for the penalty area when Mensah brought him down.
Friend stood on the spot outside the area where he thought the foul had taken place, but linesman Billy Smallwood disagreed, signaling for a penalty.
Although television replays proved Friend correct, he was persuaded by the linesman and Kuyt drilled the penalty to Simon Mignolet’s left.
Mensah had escaped with a booking, but received a red card after 82 minutes for a professional foul on Suarez.

The Belgian goalkeeper’s first save of note came after 37 minutes when he stretched to keep out Suarez’s effort from a brilliant Spearing pass.
Until then Andy Carroll had been Sunderland’s only real concern. The former Newcastle United forward was his usual dominant self in the air, and although he discomforted the home defenders on his Premier League debut, his side had little to show for it until he forced substitute Lee Cattermole to cleared off the line at a 51st-minute corner.
Mignolet made a great diving save from Spearing in the 74th minute, but was badly beaten at his near post minutes later. Suarez beat Cattermole, then the goalkeeper, from a near impossible angle.
Asamoah Gyan was fortunate to escape a red card for poking Martin Skrtel’s nose but seconds later his international team-mate Mensah was dismissed for pulling down Uruguay forward Suarez as he bore down on goal.
Sunderland were poor throughout and it was not until the 86th minute that Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina was forced into a save, keeping out Cattermole’s long-range effort.